Your Opinion: Ending DACA devastating

Dear Editor:

The Trump Administration's decision to end the legal immigration status of nearly 800,000 young people who have benefitted from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program over the past five years is alarming for the significant detrimental impact it will have on individuals, families and communities across the country.

Without a legislative replacement for DACA, young people who were brought to this country as children more than 10 years ago, and who have studied, lived, worked in, and contributed to our nation will be forced to live their lives in constant fear that they will be deported at any moment and separated from their families and communities.

Members of Congress need to know that ending the DACA program would be especially devastating for survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault, as well as other crimes. For crimes to be reported, survivors need to know they will not be deported.

Congress must protect and defend DACA recipients living, working, paying taxes, and raising families in the United States. There are 3,770 young people enrolled in DACA in the state of Missouri, and they pay $8,430,000 in state and local taxes each year. While I am more concerned about the human cost of deportation, I realize that only money speaks to some people.

Urge U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill and U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer to support the bipartisan Dream Act of 2017 (S. 1615 and H.R. 3440) to defend the 800,000 DACA recipients, and to enact policies that strengthen families and communities. Please call them and ask that they work on this important issue and pass the Dream Act of 2017 ASAP!

 

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